Saturday, May 15, 2010

Dallas anticipates Charlaine Harris event Sat. May 15th


















What does this tell you I'll be doing this afternoon ?

Charlaine Harris not done with Sookie Stackhouse yet

By JOY TIPPING / The Dallas Morning News
jtipping@dallasnews.com

You might think that author Charlaine Harris, flush with success from her Sookie Stackhouse "Southern Vampire" series, might be ready to hang up her literary fangs and retire to her home in Southwest Arkansas.

She's written 10 Sookie books – the inspiration for HBO's smash series True Blood, which returns for its third season on June 13 – including the recently released 10th in the series, Dead in the Family. She's also written three other mystery series and a whole slew of short stories.

At 58, though, she says she's got at least two more Sookie books to write and a comic-book series in the works, among other projects. We talked to her by phone in advance of her tour stop Saturday in Dallas.

What's going on in the new book? Sookie's recovering from the terrible events of the last book, which involved a Faery War. ... This book really deals with a lot of family issues, and different types of families – formed families, blood families.

Do you feel like you're living in two separate Sookie-verses now? People who're watching the series and reading the books know that HBO has kept to the books' plots in some ways, but in other ways the show is radically different, so there's no telling what'll happen on the show. ... But even when I'm writing now, as good as those actors are, I don't see them in my head. I still see the same people I've been seeing all along, way before the TV show started.

That Season 2 scene with Godrick exploding on top of the Adolphus Hotel was awesome. What did you think? Did they shoot that there? I didn't know that! I love the Adolphus. That's where I usually stay when I'm in Dallas.

read on

Charlaine Harris will discuss and sign Dead in the Family at 2 p.m. today at Borders, 10720 Preston Road at Royal Lane, Dallas. Wristbands for admission will be handed out starting at 9 a.m. this morning. 214-363-1977. www.borders.com.

Charlaine does Dallas: Know Your Sookie Books Before You Meet the Author

The author of the book series behind HBO's True Blood will be in Big D Saturday for a book signing.

Charlaine Harris will be at the Borders on Preston Road and Royal Lane to read from and sign the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead in the Family.

The book is the 10th in the best-selling, genre-transcending Southern Vampire Mysteries about a telepathic barmaid living in the small town of Bon Temps in northern Louisiana.

Not quite a romance, not quite a mystery, yet not quite a fantasy, the series follows Sookie's struggles with her "disability" (telepathy), her first love, her introduction to werewolves, witches and fairies and her tangles in vampire politics. Most of all, the Southern Vampire Mysteries is about a young woman coming into her own.

But don't write the books off as just one of the dreary, melodramatic vampire romances that are so in vogue these days -- these books are fun. Critics have described the Sookie Stackhouse books as "delightful" and "riotous."

If you're a True Blood fan who hasn't read the books but want to meet Sookie's creator anyway, we've got you covered.

Five Things to Know About the Series Behind “True Blood”

1. Yes, the TV show is based on a series of books.
The first book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Dead Until Dark, was published in 2001, far predating the HBO series. Charlaine Harris doesn't have direct involvement with "True Blood," but she says on her website that she is "delighted" with what showrunner Alan Ball has done with the show.

2. This ain't "True Blood."
Like any screen adaptation, True Blood deviates quite a bit in tone and style from its source material. While you probably don't want to watch episodes of the show on your laptop on an airplane, reading the books aloud in public won't make you blush. And unlike the show, the books are told in the first-person from Sookie's perspective. Her narration is part of what makes the books so humorous; even when she's down, Sookie never stops being amusing.

3. Be prepared for possible "True Blood" spoilers.
Just reading the book jacket for Dead in the Family is likely to give you hints to things that have yet to be introduced in the show. But on the bright side, while the first season of the show actually hewed fairly close to the plot of the first Sookie book, the second definitely went off in its own direction. There's no knowing how much of the books' mythology Alan Ball will leave off the writing table.

4. Look for the short stories for a complete picture of the Sookieverse.
Sookie and a few other characters are featured in short stories that were published in various anthologies. Harris' website lists all of them, along with ISBN numbers. While they aren't all essential, the novella about Sookie's cousin, Hadley, does add quite a bit of backstory to the main series.

5. There is backstory ahoy in this series.
Let's be honest: Harris is on book 10 now. While she is good about trying to include exposition at the beginnings of her books, it's probably not going to be enough to catch you up if you have only seen the television series. Sookie's world in Dead in the Family is completely different from how her life was in the first few books. A lot has happened, and characters have arrived and left Sookie's life. And the books aren't episodic -- they all flow into one another, and that's part of the series' charm. This is definitely not a series where "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Book Signing:
2 p.m. Saturday
Borders
10720 Preston Road, Suite 1018
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-363-1977

http://www.nbcdfw.com/around-town/events/Know-Your-Sookie-Books-Before-You-Meet-the-Author-93745289.html

Ryan Kwanten True Blood Season 3 Interview


Ryan Kwanten was the recipient of an Australians in Film 6th Annual Breakthrough Award, and the actor who's best known to Americans as Jason Stackhouse on 'True Blood' was well-deserving of the honor.
watch here

Stephen Moyer 'goes commando' at Cosmo Fun Fearless Male Award

True Blood Star Anna Paquin Hints at Split On Screen


True Blood star Anna Paquin has hinted that her on-screen character Sookie will split with vampire Bill in a future episode. The 27-year-old actress plays the role of Sookie Stackhouse in the hit HBO show, and her real-life fiance Stephen Moyer plays Sookie's boyfriend Bill Compton.

Asked if they will stay together, she said to UK newspaper Daily Mirror: "Well, no TV show keeps the main couple together throughout the whole run. That would be boring."
She added: There's got to be some conflict there, otherwise it's not so entertaining ."

Read on

Stephen Moyer in the Trailer for ICE the miniseries



Ice promises to be an explosive and timely big budget miniseries: Unprecedented. Undetected. Unstoppable.

The official synopsis:
Undetected, a giant piece of ice the size of a small country breaks off the Antarctic continent and becomes a major world threat as it heads on an inexorable course north towards the UK, Europe and the US. Swathed in its own fog, and carrying its own devastating weather patterns the frozen colossus triggers a series of disasters and plunges the world’s temperatures into steep decline leaving the world to contemplate the dawning of a new ice age.

Directed by Nick Copus, Ice’s cast lineup includes Richard Roxburgh (Stealth, Van Helsing, The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, Moulin Rouge), Frances O’Connor (Cashmere Mafia, Three Dollars, Artificial Intelligence: AI), Claire Forlani (The Rock, Meet Joe Black, The Diplomat), Ben Cross (Hannibal, Star Trek), Simon Callow (The Phantom Of The Opera, Rome, Doctor Who), Patrick Bergin (Patriot Games, Smallville), Stephen Moyer (True Blood, Quills) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Crusoe).

Ice has been filming since September in Wanaka and Auckland, filming will finish in November. A release date is unknown at this moment.

True Blood HBO Sweepstake



Come out, come out, whatever you are for the True Blood Ultimate Fan Experience. A 50-city one-night-only event. A $5,000 Grand Prize. A chance to win big.
We play at night. Do you? Enter now by visiting HBO's Facebook page
True Blood page on Facebook http://facebook.com/trueblood

''Dead in the Family' Sookie Book #10 Recipes: Spinach Casserole

This recipe is from Gran's old recipe box.

2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1/4 c. chopped onion
6 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. water
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. buttered bread crumbs; optional

Saute onion in butter. Add flour and water and bring to boil. Add cheese; stir in spinach and eggs. Pour into 13 x 9 casserole. Top with buttered crumbs if you wish. Bake in 325 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

True Blood Music Video of the Day: Swing In The Mood



Swing In The Mood : True Blood
Thanks, ToddMarty